Percussion-fuse for explosive projectiles.



No. 682,728. v Patented Sept. l7, l90l.

M. A. LYNCH &. H. WILSON. PEECUSSIO N FUSE FOR EXPLOSIVE PBOJECTILES.

(Application filed Nov. 15, 1900.)

( Ho Model.)

QM & l1.

2052 22 e ssesc' sequent releaseof the primer-igniting ham- E ATES' MICHAEL A. LYNCH AND- HARRY wILsoN,- or WASHINGTON, D

COL BIA.

PERCUSSION -FUSF FOR EXPLO SWE PROJECTILES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 682,728, dated September 17, 1901.

Application filed November 15, .1900. Serial No. 36,642. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known-that we, MICHAEL A. LYNCH and HARRY WILSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Washington, in the Dis- -trict of Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Percussion-F uses for Explosive Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to percussion-fuses for explosive projectil nd more particularly that class of time in which the primerigniting hammer isnor lly secured against movement in the stock with a view of pre eluding a casual or premature explosion of the projectile incident to the handling and transportation thereof and is released and rendered free to movein the stock by the pressure of the gases of the propelling charge of a gun atthe time of fire. It contemplates the provision in a percussion-fuse of a sedulring device which in one position is engaged with and calculated to hold the primer-igniting hammer against movement in the stock and in anotherposition leaves the hammer free to move in the stock, so as to strike against the primer and explode the projectile at the time of impact. The stated change of position of the securing device and the conmer is effected at the time of fire and preferably by the pressure of the gases of the prothe parts being in the positions they occupy 2. Fig. 4 is a detail section illustrating a modification. Figs. 5 and 6 fare detail sections taken in the planes indicatedby the broken lines 5 5 and 6 6, respectively, of Fig. 4. Fig. -7 is a detail section similar to Fig. 5 and illustrating another modification.

Referring by letter to said drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 3 thereof, A is a fuse-stock :provided with screw-threads a and end flange b forengage'ment with the body of a projectile after the usual manner.

ISTRICT or Said stock is provided interiorly with a hammer-chamber 0, formed by a 'bore 0' and a counterbore CZ, a combustion-chamber d, 6o

separated from the hammer-chamber by a partition or primer-holder 79. and having its forward end closed by the usual sealing-plate (1 a chamber B, located in rear of and communicating with the hammer-chamber c, and disposed transverse of the stock, and a gas-passage O, which leads frrim the rear end of the stock to one end of the transverse chamber B, the opposite end of the said chamber B being preferably closed by a plugf, as shown. .The partition 6 is recessed at gto receive a primer g',and has a passage h leading from said recess to the g forward side of the partition to enable flame to gain accessto the combustion-chamber when the nited'. O is a guard'for protecting the primer against the action of the. hammer, presently described. The guard forms part of the subject-matter of our contemporary application, filed August 1.6, 1900,. Serial No. 27,105,

and need not be described herein, except to say that it is calculated when the projectile primer is igcarrying the fuse is fired to be thrown back out of engagement with the partition by its inertia and then moved to one side, as shown in Fig. 2, bythe centrifugal action incident to the'rotation of the projectile;

The hammer D of our present fuse may in general be of any construction suitable to! ertures k of the body and. also in the groove and until the moment of impact. Y due to the fact that the springp tends to move the firing plunger l forwardly and through the medium of the same operates to press the sear deyices or balls 71. outward and against the wall of the bore c,,with the resultthat great friction is created between the sear devices and the wall-of the said bore,

and the hammer is held againstcreeping in the stock, as stated. WVhen the projectile strikes anobject, the arrest of the projectile will cause the hammer to move forward with considerable force, and incident to such forward. movement of the hammer and as soon a as the sear devices reach the counterbore d,

ably connected to its body 1.

the spring p, through the medium of the firing-plunger, will force said sear devices outwardly, with theresult that the firing-plunger will be released from the body 1 and forcibly impelled by the spring against the primer.

j The hammer D is peculiar in that it is provided with a rearwardly-extending stem E, which may be formed integral with or suit- Said stem E normally rests in a passage F intermediate of the hammer-chamber c and the transverse chamber B and is provided, preferably at its end remote from the hammer, with an enlargement G, which by preference is globular. H is a device which by cooperating with the stem E of the hammer is calculated in the position shown in Fig. 1 to hold the hammer against movement in the stock and in the position shown in Fig. 2 leaves the hammer free to move in the stock. This securing device is arranged and adapted to be moved in the chamber B and transversely of the stock by thepressure of the gases of the propelling charge of a gun at the time of fire, the gases entering through the passage C and acting against the end of the securing device contiguous to said passage. vice is provided at its rear end or end adjacent to the passage 0 with a soft-metal gasket I, this to prevent the passage of powdergases past the securing device and into the hammer-chamber. The securing device is also provided witha longitudinal bore J of a size to receive the enlargement G on stem E,

an opening K, which communicates with the rear portion of the bore J and is of a size to permit the free passage of the enlargement G, and a notch or slot M, which communicates with the bore J and opening K and extends forwardly from the latter or in the direction The securing dein which the securing device is moved to render the hammer D free to move toward the primer. The notch or slot M is of a size to readily receive the stem E, but too small for the passage'of the enlargement G on said stem. The passage F in the stock, like the opening K in the securing device H, is of a size to permit of the free passage of the enlargement G.

With the securing device H resting in the position shown in Fig. 1, with the hammerstem E resting in its notch M and the enlargement G resting in rear of said notch M, it will be seen that the hammer D will be securely held against movement in the stock, and consequently there is absolutely no danger of it casually igniting the primer. At the time of fire of the projectile, however, the pressure of the gases of the propelling charge of the gun operatesto move the securing device-into the position shown in Fig. 2, and consequently carries the notch M of said socuring device out of engagement with the stem E and the opening K into a position coin- 'cident orin line with the passage F. This obviously leaves the enlargement G free to pass out of the boreJ of the securing device, and consequently permits the hammer to move forward in the stock and effect the ignition of the primer when the projectile strikes an object. In this connection it will be noticed that the release of the hammer is elfected by the pressure of the gases changing the position of the securing device with respect to the hammer and does not entail the shearing or breaking of any part. It will also be noticed that while the securing device is not liable to casual movement it is sure to be moved by the gases of the propelling charge at the time offire, and hence may be relied upon to release the hammer at the proper time. The inertia of the hammer D at the time of fire does not tend to bind and hold the securing device II against movement under the action of the gases for the reason that said hammer bears at its rear end against the stock, as shown in Fig. 1.

n Figs. 1t, 5, and 6 we have illustrated a modification which comprises a rotary movable hammer-securiug device, H. as distinguishable from the rectilinearly-movable deand is of a size to freely receive the hammerstem E, but too small for the passage of the enlargement G. The axially-movable device H is also provided at one end with a projection-N, which is arranged in the path of a rod 1? on a piston Q, arranged in a passage C of the stock. From this it follows that when the projectile is fired the gases of the propelling charge force the piston Q forwardly, and said piston acting against the projection N of the device H rolls said device H so as to carry the notch M out of engagement with the.h ammer-stem E and the opening K into a position coincident with the passage F to permit of the forward movement of the hammer in the manner before described.

The modification shown in Fig. 7 is similar to that shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, except that theprojection N on the. axially-movable securing device diifers in form from the projection shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Having described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a fuse for explosive projectiles, the combination of a stock, a hammer adapted to move therein and having a projection pro vided with an enlargement, a securing device for the hammer, movable in the stock, aud having a chamber of a size to receive the enlargement of the hammer projection, an opening, of a size to permit-the passage of the enlargement of said projection communicating with the chamber, and a comparatively reduced opening communicating with the firstnamed opening and thechamber and extending forwardly from said first-named opening or in the.direction in which the device is moved to release thehammer and means whereby the securing device is moved to effect the release of the hammer when the projectile is fired from a gun.

2. In a fuse for explosive projectiles, the combination of a stock, a hammer adapted to move therein and having a projection provided with anenlargement, a securing device for the hammer, movable in the stock and having a chamber of a size to receive the enlargement of the hammerprojection, an opening, of a size to permit the passage of the enlargement of said projection, communicating with the chamber, and a comparatively reduced opening communicating with the firstnamed opening and the chamber and extending forwardly from the former or in the direction in which the device is moved to release the hammer, and means whereby the gases of the propelling charge of a gun are enabled to move the securing device and thereby eEect the release of the hammer.

3. In a fuse for explosive projectiles, the

combination of a stock having a hammerchamber and a transverse chamber connected with the hammer-chamber by a passage intermediate of the two, a hammer adapted to ove in the chamber therefor, and having a stem or projection provided with an enlarge-- ment of a size to pass through said intermediate passage, a securing device for the hammer, movable in the transverse chamber of the stock, and having a chamberof a size to receive the enlargement of the hammer stem or projection, an opening, of a size to permit the passage of the enlargement of said stem or projection, communicating with the chamher, and a comparatively reduced opening communicating with the first-named opening and the chamber and extending forwardly from'the formeror in the direction in which the device is moved to release the hammer, and means whereby the gases of the propelling charge of a gun are enabled to move the securing device and thereby efiect the release of the hammer.

4. In a fuse for explosive projectiles, the

combination of a stock having a hammerchamber, a transverse chamber arranged in rear of the hammer-chamber, a passage intermediate of the two chambers, and a passage for gases leading to the transverse chamber, a hammer arranged and adapted to move in the hammer-chamber, and having a rearwardly-extending stem terminating in an enlargement of a size to pass through the said intermediate passage, and a rectilinearlyr" movable securing device for the hammer, arranged in the transverse chamber of the stock, and having a chamber of a size to receive the enlargement of the hammer-stem, an opening, of a size to permit the passage of said enlargement, communicating with the chamber, and a comparatively reduced opening communicating with the chamber and the first-named opening,and extending forwardly from the latter or in the direction in which the device is moved to release the hammer. Intestimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MIOHAEL'A. LYNCH. HARRY WILSON. Witnesses: JOHN H. ODONTNELL, J 0s. 0, MGMENAMIN. 

